Mineola takes Harmony in five

Posted 10/13/22

hose who had the opportunity to take in the Mineola vs. Harmony volleyball match Tuesday, Oct. 4 had a real treat. The Lady Jackets remained undefeated in district and took possession of first place with a 25-16, 16-25, 24-26, 25-21, 15-9 win.

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Mineola takes Harmony in five

Posted

hose who had the opportunity to take in the Mineola vs. Harmony volleyball match Tuesday, Oct. 4 had a real treat. The Lady Jackets remained undefeated in district and took possession of first place with a 25-16, 16-25, 24-26, 25-21, 15-9 win.

Coach TaShara Everett was glowing after the match. She composed herself and commented, “A lot of hard work paid off tonight. We went down by two sets to a very good team and just kept fighting.”

In the first four matches of district play, Everett’s charges have knocked off a state-ranked Mt. Vernon squad and broke a tie with Harmony to take sole possession of first in District 13-3A.

The Lady Jackets have been hinting at something big since the season started. Their play has been characterized by solid defense, contributions from all team members and an undying level of competition. Heart – they play with heart. 

A great initial service turn by Shylah Kratzmeyer combined with solid defense got the Lady Jackets off to a fast start. The movement on Kratzmeyer’s knuckleball service gave the Lady Eagles fits and pushed Mineola to a 6-1 start.  

Excellent digging in the backline and great anticipation by blockers and the backline held that winning margin throughout game one. A Gracie Finley kill from the left wing, a Mylee Fischer block and a Jocelyn Whitehead kill preserved the lead. 

The volleyball fortunes turned in the second set. Harmony served up three aces and jetted to a 9-0 lead.

The Lady Jackets were trying to scratch their way back in the set, but an emphatic kill by Harmony of a Mineola overpass shut the door on any comeback. On the very next point, the Lady Eagles scored with a short drop shot after a great dig by Macy Fischer. 

Harmony cruised to a 25-16 second-set win.

The visitors continued their attacking style from the second set to build an 8-6 lead in the third set. Lady Jacket Kyra Jackson created a telling swing in momentum with a strong block. The sound of the block echoed throughout the gymnasium. 

Reenergized, the Lady Jackets stormed back. After Jackson’s block, the set was a point-by-point affair. The score was tied 10 times before Harmony secured the set, 26-24. Harmony took the third set by returning to their strength – playing through their middle blocker. 

Harmony owned a lead for a long stretch of the fourth set, but it was clear that Mineola was not going to fold. Frustration in the faces of the Harmony players was evident as the Lady Jackets just kept playing hard. 

Tied at 21, a drop shot by Finley, a Whitehead kill and a strong block by Fischer sealed the set win for the Jackets.

Mineola led throughout the 15-point fifth set. Kratzmeyer provided the initial surge with an ace and a five-point service run. Olivia Hughes played a huge role in the final set and joined Whitehead with some critical offensive scores.

The next chance to see the Lady Jackets, and their die-hard style of play, is on Saturday when they host Quitman. Game time is set for 10 a.m.